2013/03/20

A hard of hearing person enrolled at a community college tolearn ASL. He dropped out, saying he had a hard time learningASL because the classroom noise interfered with his use ofhis hearing aid. DeafDigest wonders if it was hearingstudents clowning around and making noises behind the back of the deaf ASL deaf teacher?

— proposed new interpreter bill may scare unlicensed interpreters

many interpreters are not certified. A legislator in Arkansashas proposed a new bill that would fine $500 for interpreterswithout certificates and $1,000 for agencies that hire unqualifiedinterpreters. Will this bill pass? Just stay tuned!

— Marlee Matlin and these new deaf actors

Marlee Matlin is the most famous deaf actress. Many deaf actorslook up to her. She said many of them ask her in a subtle wayon how to do scenes, but they don’t ask her how to act. She alsosaid they are proud of their acting skills and that she “has noright to tell them how to act.”

— a kidnapped deaf boy trapped between two feuding nations

A 14-year old deaf boy, a resident of Sudan, was kidnappedby the South Sudan fighters last April. They would not releasehim to his Sudanese parents. It took a difficult meeting recentlybetween fighters, tribal leaders and officials of both nationsto agree on peace terms before the deaf boy could be released.The deaf boy did nothing wrong, but was at the wrong placeat the wrong time.

— deaf character in new movie “Dead Man Down”?

Dead Man Down is a new movie shown in movie houses everywhere.Isabelle Huppert plays the role of Valentine Louzon, a deaf woman,in the movie. Yet one movie critic complained that there wasnothing about the character being deaf; she functioned the sameas others in the movie, talking normally. Why describe heras deaf if she does nothing that a deaf person would do?